Michelle Obama - U.S. First Lady, Lawyer - Biography.com » quotes “Every day, the people I meet inspire me, every day they make me proud, every day they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on Earth. Serving as your first lady is an honor and a privilege.” “When I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.” “One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.” “I have the privilege of working on the issues that I choose and the issues that I feel most passionate about.” “These are the moments that define us—not the day you get the promotion, not the day you win teacher of the year, but the times that force you to claw and scratch and fight just to get through the day; the moments when you get knocked down and you're wondering whether it's even worth it to get back up.

Those are the times when you've got to ask yourself, who am I going to be?” “That's what's always made this country great—embracing the diversity of experience and opinion that surrounds us everywhere we go.” “The only difference between me and every other woman that I know is that my challenges are publicized, and I'm doing this juggling in front of cameras.” “We should always have three friends in our lives—one who walks ahead who we look up to and we follow; one who walks beside us, who is with us every step of our journeys; and then, one who we reach back for and we bring along after we've cleared the way.” “People told me, "You can do it all. Just stay the course, get your education and you can raise a child, stay thin, be in shape, love your man, look good and raise healthy children." That was a lie.” “Exercise is really important to me—it's therapeutic.

So if I'm ever feeling tense or stressed or like I'm about to have a meltdown, I'll put on my iPod and head to the gym or out on a bike ride along Lake Michigan with the girls.” “It would be hard for me to edit myself and still be me.” “We learned about dignity and decency—that how hard you work matters more than how much you make . . . that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.” “As women, we must stand up for ourselves. As women, we must stand up for reach other. As women, we must stand up for justice for all.” “She's fundamentally honest—goes out there, speaks her mind, jokes. She doesn't parse her words or select them with an antenna for political correctness.” Michelle Obama Synopsis Michelle Obama was born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Princeton University, graduating cum laude in 1985, and went on to earn a degree from Harvard Law School in 1988. Following her graduation from Harvard, she worked at a Chicago law firm, where she met her husband, future U.S. president Barack Obama .

The couple married on October 3, 1992. As first lady, she has focused her attention on current social issues, such as poverty, healthy living and education. Michelle Obama - Mini Biography (TV-14; 3:33) Watch a mini biography of Michelle Obama, who in 2009 became the United States' first African-American First Lady, in this video. Background and Early Life Michelle Obama was born Michelle LaVaughn Robinson on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois. She would later become a lawyer, Chicago city administrator, community-outreach worker and—as the wife of President Barack Obama—the first African-American first lady of the United States. Michelle was raised in a small bungalow on Chicago's South Side. Her father, Fraser Robinson, was a city-pump operator and a Democratic precinct captain. Her mother, Marian, was a secretary at Spiegel's but later stayed home to raise Michelle and her older brother, Craig. They were a close-knit family, typically sharing meals, reading and playing games together. Craig and Michelle, 21 months apart in age, were often mistaken for twins.

The siblings also shared close quarters, sleeping in the living room with a sheet serving as a makeshift room divider. They were raised with an emphasis on education and had learned to read at home by age four. Both skipped the second grade. Gifted Student By the sixth grade, Michelle was taking classes in her school's gifted program, where she learned French and completed accelerated courses in biology. She went on to attend Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, the city's first magnet high school for gifted children, where, among other activities, she served as the student government treasurer. In 1981, Michelle graduated from the school as class salutatorian. Following in her older brother's footsteps, Michelle then attended Princeton University, graduating cum laude in 1985 with a B.A. in Sociology. She went on to study law at Harvard Law School, where she took part in demonstrations calling for the enrollment and hiring of more minority students and professors. She was awarded her J.D. in 1988. Marriage to Barack Obama After law school, Michelle worked as an associate in the Chicago branch of the firm Sidley Austin, in the area of marketing and intellectual property.

It was there, in 1989, that she met her future husband, Barack Obama, a summer intern to whom she was assigned as an adviser. Initially, she refused to date Barack, believing that their work relationship would make the romance improper. She eventually relented, however, and the couple soon fell in love. Did You Know? The Obamas' first kiss took place outside of a Chicago shopping center—where a plaque featuring a photo of the couple kissing was installed more than two decades later, in August 2012. After two years of dating, Barack proposed, and the couple married at Trinity United Church of Christ on October 3, 1992. Their daughters, Malia and Sasha, were born in 1998 and 2001, respectively. High-Profile Work in Chicago In 1991, Michelle decided to leave corporate law and pursue a career in public service, working as an assistant to Mayor Richard Daley and then as the assistant commissioner of planning and development for the City of Chicago.

In 1993, she became executive director for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a nonprofit leadership-training program that helped young adults develop skills for future careers in the public sector. In 1996, Michelle joined the University of Chicago as associate dean of student services, developing the school’s first community-service program. Beginning in 2002, she worked for the University of Chicago Hospitals, as executive director of community relations and external affairs. In May 2005, Michelle was appointed vice president for community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she continued to work part-time until shortly before her husband's inauguration as president. She also served as a board member for the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs. On the Campaign Trail Michelle Obama first caught the eye of a national audience while at her husband's side when he delivered a high-profile speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Barack Obama was elected as U.S. Senator from Illinois that November. In 2007, Michelle scaled back her own professional work to attend to family and campaign obligations during Barack's run for the Democratic presidential nomination.

When they were out on the trail, they would leave their daughters with their grandmother Marian, Michelle's mother. Barack Obama eventually won the nomination and was elected the 44th President of the United States. He was sworn in on January 20, 2009. When her husband sought reelection in 2012, facing a challenging race against Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney , Michelle Obama diligently campaigned on his behalf. She traveled the country, giving talks and making public appearances. In September of that year, Michelle delivered a noteworthy speech at the Democratic National Convention. "Every day, the people I meet inspire me, every day they make me proud, every day they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth," she said. "Serving as your first lady is an honor and a privilege." She went on to praise the Latino community for supporting President Obama, and stated that her husband—"the same man [she] fell in love with all those years ago"—understands the American Dream, as well as the everyday struggles of American families, and cares deeply about making a difference in people's lives. Michelle won both public and critical praise for her narrative, called a "shining moment" by The Washington Post.

On November 6, 2012, Barack Obama was reelected for a second term as U.S. president. After Mitt Romney conceded defeat, Michelle Obama accompanied her husband with their two daughters, Malia and Sasha, onto the stage at McCormick Place in Chicago, where President Obama delivered his victory speech. Fashion Icon After her husband's political role pushed the Obama family into the spotlight, Michelle was publicly recognized for her no-nonsense campaign style as well as her sense of fashion. In May 2006, Michelle was featured in Essence magazine as one of "25 of the World's Most Inspiring Women." In September 2007, Michelle was included in 02138 magazine as number 58 in "The Harvard 100," a yearly list of the school's most influential alumni. She has also twice appeared on the cover of Vogue and made the Vanity Fair best-dressed list two years in a row as well as People magazine's 2008 best-dressed list.

During the inauguration ceremony for her husband's second term, on January 21, 2013, Michelle and her daughters received a lot of attention for their fashion choices, which included clothes from Thom Browne, J. Crew and Kate Spade. Michelle received much praise for the red Jason Wu dress she wore during the subsequent events. Issues and Causes As the 44th first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama has focused her attention on issues such as the support of military families, helping working women balance career and family and encouraging national service. During the first year of the Obama presidency, Michelle and her husband volunteered at homeless shelters and soup kitchens in the Washington D.C. area. Michelle also has made appearances at public schools, stressing the importance of education and volunteer work. Ever conscious of her family's diet and health, Michelle has supported the organic-food movement, instructing the White House kitchens to prepare organic food for guests and her family. In March 2009, Michelle worked with 23 fifth graders from a local school in Washington D.C. to plant an 1,100-square-foot garden of fresh vegetables and install beehives on the South Lawn of the White House.

Since 2010, Michelle has put efforts to fight childhood obesity near the top of her agenda. Michelle Obama remains committed to her health-and-wellness causes. In 2012, she announced a new fitness program for kids as part of her Let's Move initiative. Along with the U.S. Olympic team and other sports organizations, she has worked to get young people to try out a new sport or activity. "This year, 1.7 million young people will be participating in Olympic and Paralympic sports in their communities—many of them for the very first time. And that is so important, because sometimes all it takes is that first lesson, or clinic, or class to get a child excited about a new sport," she said in a statement. Putting her message in print, Michelle released a book as part of her mission to promote healthy eating. American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America (2012) explores her own experience creating a vegetable garden as well as the work of community gardens elsewhere.

She told Reuters that sees the book as an opportunity to help readers understand "where their food was coming from" and "to talk about the work that we're doing with childhood obesity and childhood health." Famed DNC Speech In July 2016, former first lady, senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton became the official Democratic nominee for the American presidency, becoming the first woman in the U.S. to win a major political party's presidential nomination. On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Michelle spoke in support of Clinton, who had previously run against Barack Obama during the 2008 primaries, and her vision of a progressive America. "...I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, and I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn," she said. "And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters, and all our sons and daughters, now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States." First Family Both Michelle and Barack Obama have stated that their personal priority is their two daughters, Malia and Sasha. The parents realized that the move from Chicago to Washington D.C. would be a major adjustment for any family.

Residing in the White House, having Secret Service protection and always being in the wake of their parents' public obligations has dramatically transformed their lives. Both parents try to make their daughters' world as "normal" as possible, with set times for studying, going to bed and getting up. "My first priority will always be to make sure that our girls are healthy and grounded," Michelle said. "Then I want to help other families get the support they need, not just to survive, but to thrive." Videos Michelle Obama Biography :: National First Ladies' Library Chicago, Illinois 17 January, 1964 *Michelle Obama is the third First Lady born in Chicago, Illinois, after Betty Ford (1918) and Hillary Clinton (1947). Although Nancy Reagan identifies herself as a Chicagoan she was born in Flushing, Queens, New York and spent her childhood in Bethesda, Maryland. Nancy Reagan did spend her adolescent and teenage years in Chicago where she was adopted by her stepfather to whom her mother had remarried. Mary Lincoln also identified herself as a Chicagoan in the first years of her widowhood, having assumed residency in Chicago, first in rented quarters and then in purchasing a home there.

She was born in Kentucky and spent her young adult years in Springfield, Illinois. Father: Fraser Robinson III, born 1 August 1935, Chicago, Illinois; City of Chicago Waterworks, pump worker and Democratic Party precinct captain (volunteer); died 6 March 1991 Mother: Marian Shields Robinson, born July 1937, Chicago, Illinois; married to Fraser Robinson, 1960 in Chicago; a stay-at-home mother while her children were young, Mrs. Robinson later worked as secretary in the offices of Spiegel Catalogue until the 2008 presidential election *Marian Robinson is only the third First Lady’s mother to take up official residence in the White House, following Madge Wallace and Minnie Doud, the mothers of Bess Truman and Mamie Eisenhower, respectively. However, Juliana Gardiner and Emma Folsom, the mothers of Julia Tyler and Frances Cleveland, respectively, also made lengthy stays which might be considered residency. Ancestry: African. Although Michelle Obama’s genealogy has not yet been extensively researched, it is known that at least one of her paternal great-great-grandfathers, James Robinson had been enslaved in Georgetown, South Carolina.

In one speech while President Obama was campaigning, he indicated that there is also descent in his wife’s family from a European-American ancestor. Birth Order and Siblings: second child, one brother; Craig Robinson, born April 1962, currently head basketball coach of the Oregon State Beavers Physical Appearance: Brown hair, brown eyes, 5 feet, 11 inches tall *Michelle Obama stands at the same height as Eleanor Roosevelt, making them both equally the tallest First Ladies Education: Bryn Mawr Elementary School (renamed Bouchet Academy), Chicago, Illinois, 1970-1977. Michelle Robinson was such an excellent student that she was able to skip the second grade. In 1975, while enrolled in the sixth grade, she was chosen for a “gifted student” program which permitted her the chance to take advanced biology and French classes at Kennedy-King Community College. Whitney Young Magnet High School, Chicago, Illinois, 1977-1981.

Based on her academic excellence, Michelle Robinson was given the chance to attend the first “magnet” high school in Chicago, which afforded students a greater depth and breadth of study with a focus on college preparedness. As a student here, Michelle Robinson was enrolled in advanced-placement classes, was invited and joined the National Honor Society, and served as Student Council Treasurer. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 1981-1985, bachelor’s degree in Sociology, with a minor degree in African-American Studies. She worked with both the Third World Center and belonged to the Organization of Black Unity, an African-American student group. She graduated cum laude. Harvard Law School, Juris doctor degree, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1985-1988. While in attendance, Michelle Robinson joined the Black Law Students Association, which often brought speaks to campus, addressing legal issues and career guidance. Occupation before Marriage: As a young girl, Michelle Robinson has household chores for which she was responsible and shared with her brother. Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Understanding (formerly, Third World Center), Princeton, New Jersey, 1981-1985.

While at Princeton University, Michelle Robinson enrolled in a work-study program, helping to earn part of her tuition. She worked at the center, creating an after-school reading program for the children of the manual workers of the university. Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1985-1988. While in law school, Michelle Robinson worked to help local residents unable to afford legal advice and representation, on issues ranging from divorce, custody and tenant rights. Associate Attorney, Sidley & Austin, 1988-1991. Upon graduating from Harvard Law School, Michelle Robinson accepted a job as an associate attorney in the Chicago offices of the law firm Sidley & Austin, where she specialized in intellectual property rights and marketing, representing clients that included AT&T and Union Carbide. Assistant to the Mayor, City of Chicago, 1991-1992. Although her work as an attorney enabled Michelle Obama to meet the substantial monetary debt resulting from her college and law school educations, the death of both her father and a friend provoked a focus on her priorities and values, leading her to determine to build a career in community service.

She took a position in this line of professional work as an assistant in the office of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, where she was employed for a year before moving to another position within the city government. Drawing on her business experience from the law firm, she was charged with serving as a liaison between the city and fledgling businesses, seeking to help encourage Chicago economic development. Marriage: 28 years old, married 3 October, 1992 to Barack Obama, 31 years old, (born 4 August, 1961, Honolulu, Hawaii, lawyer and community organizer) at Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, Illinois. Michelle Robinson first met Barack Obama when he came to work as a summer associate in June of 1989 at Sidley & Austin, where she was already working as an attorney. When he returned to Cambridge, Massachusetts to complete Harvard Law School (graduated 1990), they continue to correspond and date. They became engaged in 1991. Their first home was an apartment in the Hyde Park section of Chicago. Barack Obama taught at the University of Chicago law school and worked at a small civil rights law firm.

Children: Two daughters; Malia Ann (born 4 July, 1998) and Natasha “Sasha (born 7 June, 2001). Both girls are students at Sidwell Friends in Washington, D.C. *Michelle Obama is the first First Lady to have given birth in the 21st century Occupation after Marriage: Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development, in the office of the Mayor of Chicago, (1992-1993). Michelle Obama was working in this position at the time of her marriage. Executive Director of Public Allies Chicago, (1993-1996) Michelle Obama was the founding director of the Chicago branch of this organization, which seeks to identify potential community leaders among young people from all backgrounds, levels of education and professional experiences and then to train them to assume leadership of both established and fledgling organizations which serve various constituencies in their communities or region. As the founder of the Chicago branch of the organization, which soon became part of the Clinton Administration’s AmeriCorps, Michelle Obama was a highly successful fundraiser and executive, helping launch Public Allies successfully.

Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago, (1996-2002), Michelle Obama worked during her pregnancy and after the birth of her two daughters. From her job at Public Allies she went into the employ of the University of Chicago. In her first job there, she increased rates of voluntarism between the student body and the local neighborhood bordering the university. Executive Director for community affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals (2002-2005) and Executive Vice President for community and external affairs (2005-2008) In 2002, Mrs. Obama continued to work for the University of Chicago, first as the executive director at its network of medical facilities and then, for the subsequent three years, in its office that sought to engage the university community with the residential ones adjoining it. In these two latter roles... Initially leery of her husband’s ambition to enter politics because of its instability, she campaigned for him during his failed 2000 race for U.S. Congress and his successful one for the U.S. Senate in 2004.

Michelle Obama continued to work full-time and raise her daughters in Chicago while her husband worked as a Senator in Washington and returned home on weekends and recesses. Michelle Obama served on several boards, including TreeHouse Foods, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Presidential Campaign and Inauguration: Through the latter months of 2007 leading up to the state primaries and caucuses of the 2008 presidential campaign, Michelle Obama continued to work, reducing her hours at the University of Chicago Medical Center while increasing the days she spent speaking to groups throughout the country. She initially limited her absences from home to day trips and then eventually to trips involving one-overnight away from home per week, in order to maintain her responsibilities as mother to her two young daughters. In October 2007, she participated in the first forum ever held which gathered nearly all the spouses of both Democratic and Republican candidates running for the presidency, at the Women’s Conference in Long Beach, California, hosted by California’s First Lady Maria Shriver.

As the primaries ensued during the winter and spring of 2008, Michelle Obama took an increasingly active role, speaking to voters in different states about her husband but also drawing experiences from her own life that spoke directly to the goals of her husband’s potential presidency, finding a personal link to her audiences. Spontaneous remarks she made at Wisconsin campaign event in February 2008, about being proud of her country “for the first time” were interpreted negatively by some Republican media commentators and Cindy McCain, wife of the Republican candidate. Five months later, however, incumbent First Lady Laura Bush defended Mrs. Obama, stating, “I think she probably meant I'm 'more proud,' you know, is what she really meant. I mean, I know that, and that's one of the things you learn and that's one of the really difficult parts both of running for president and for being the spouse of the president, and that is, everything you say is looked at and in many cases misconstrued.” The incident had no significant affect on the election. Michelle Obama also delivered a stirring speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, which won overwhelming praise from the media and public, as reflected in polls.

Although she offered her opinion at times on the campaign strategy, she emphasized that she was not a policy advisor. When Barack Obama was elected president in November of 2008, he thanked his wife for her sacrifices to his career and his reliance on her support. Through the campaign, he frequently referred to her as “the rock” which grounded him and their family. Tremendous media attention and public interest increased on Michelle Obama’s clothing as the weeks from Election Day approached Inauguration Day, with sometimes hyperbolic predictions of how she would seek to set a new national style. More importantly would be the symbolism of her statements about making clothing purchases from popular stores of items at reasonable prices; this conveyed the new First Lady’s sense of conscientiousness about, and empathy for the increasing number of American citizens who found their home ownership threatened with bank foreclosures, loss of job or job security, decreased or lost health care and retirement benefits, and plummeting retirement savings. During the swearing-in ceremony of her husband, Michelle Obama held the historic and fragile Bible which had been used by President Abraham Lincoln for his presidential oath.

Most significant of all the events, in terms of Michelle Obama’s intentions, was her foregoing a traditional women’s event at which an incoming First Lady was traditionally honored the day before the Inauguration; instead, she and the president-elect hosted “a day of service,” encouraging the millions of visitors to Washington for the Inaugural, as well as around the nation, to commit to volunteer service in their community. Forecasting her own agenda as First Lady to create a national voluntary service program, she emphasized in her videotaped message about the day that it was her hope such commitments would continue past January 19th and be ongoing. 2009, January 20 - current incumbency 45 years old In her first weeks as First Lady, Michelle Obama has affirmed that her personal priority is the care of her two daughters. Although both are enrolled in school locally and live full-time at the White House with their parents, they are in a new city with new friends, and suddenly living a life where the most routine aspects of childhood are scrutinized by the press and public. The first manifestation of this public interest was a toy company which created dolls named after her daughters. After the First Lady expressed her dismay, the company decided to discontinue the line.

In terms of the areas of public issues she intends to focus her attention, Michelle Obama has identified three: helping working mothers find balance between family and employment commitments, providing necessary support for American military families, and encouraging voluntarism in community service. In her first weeks, the First Lady also made good on her promise to fully learn and integrate herself into her new community of Washington, D.C. She began with a working lunch with the city’s mayor and his wife, visits to schools and drop-bys and speeches at the Department of Education and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Coming to the Cabinet Department headquarters were the first of her intended visits to all of the other executive branch divisions. She is making these trips to introduce herself as a personal representative of the new Administration and provide a sense of connection to the thousands of civil service federal employees, emphasizing that they work in concert for the common goals. This is an unprecedented effort by a First Lady. Not since the 1940’s when Eleanor Roosevelt hosted several large receptions for women federal workers has a First Lady reached out in such a manner. In her remarks at HHS, Mrs.

Obama emphasized that she was there to listen and interact; this recalls the “eyes and ears” role played by Eleanor Roosevelt, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, and Rosalynn Carter as they made frequent trips throughout the country meeting and speaking with citizens, hearing their concerns and problems directly and reporting their reactions from such fact-finding missions back to the President. Updated February 5, 2009 Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama | Thoughts Of A Conservative Christian Thoughts Of A Conservative Christian Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama March 4, 2008 — budsimmons Born in Chicago on January 17, 1964, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is an attorney who has been married to Barack Hussein Obama since 1992. In 1985 Miss Robinson received her B.A. in Sociology from Princeton University, where she minored in African American Studies.

According to FrontPageMagazine reporter Jacob Laksin, “In a [February 2008] interview with Newsweek, [Michelle] Obama reveals that she got into Princeton … not on the strength of her grades, which she admits were unexceptional, but thanks to her brother Craig, a star athlete and gifted student who preceded her to the school. As a ‘legacy’ candidate and a beneficiary of affirmative action, Michelle Obama was granted an opportunity that others more accomplished were denied.” At Princeton, Miss Robinson wrote a senior thesis entitled “Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community,” (see complete thesis under the Resources column on the left-hand side of this page).

Some excerpts from the thesis include the following: “Predominately white universities like Princeton are socially and academically designed to cater to the needs of the white students comprising the bulk of their enrollments.” “[My Princeton experiences] “will likely lead to my further integration and/or assimilation into a White cultural and social structure that will only allow me to remain on the periphery of society; never becoming a full participant.” “I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don’t belong.

Regardless of the circumstances under which I interact with whites at Princeton, it often seems as if, to them, I will always be black first and a student second.” “Earlier in my college career, there was no doubt in my mind that as a member of the Black community I was somehow obligated to this community and would utilize all of my present and future resources to benefit this community first and foremost.” “In defining the concept of identification or the ability to identify with the black community … I based my definition on the premise that there is a distinctive black culture very different from white culture.” After graduating from Princeton, Miss Robinson went on to attend Harvard Law School, where she was accepted under the aegis of a minority outreach program. As one of her friends would later reflect , Robinson recognized that she had been privileged by affirmative action and was very comfortable with that. After law school, Miss Robinson returned to Chicago to work for the law firm Sidley Austin. There she met her future husband, Barack Obama, who was working for the firm as a summer associate. In the summer of 1991 she joined the staff of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. In 1992, as noted earlier, Miss Robinson wed Barack Obama.

In 1993 she became Executive Director for the Chicago office of the organization Public Allies, an entity that sought to cultivate future community activist leaders by arranging apprenticeships for young adults with non-profit organizations. In 2002, Mrs. Obama began working for the University of Chicago Hospitals (UCH), first as Executive Director for Community Affairs and later, beginning in May 2005, as Vice President for Community and External Affairs. In these roles, she was heavily involved in managing UCH’s “ business diversity program .” In early 2005, shortly after her husband had been sworn in as a Democratic U.S. Senator representing Illinois, Mrs. Obama’s annual salary at UCH was suddenly raised from $121,910 to $316,962 . Mrs. Obama also served as a salaried board member of TreeHouse Foods, Inc., a major Wal-Mart supplier with whom she cut ties immediately after her husband made comments critical of Wal-Mart at an AFL-CIO forum in Trenton, New Jersey, on May 14, 2007. Mrs.

Obama was honored by Essence magazine in May 2006 as one of the “World’s Most Inspiring Women”; by Vanity Fair in July 2007 as one of the “World’s Best-Dressed Women”; and by 02138 magazine in September 2007 as #58 in “The Harvard 100” list of that university’s most influential alumni. In a February 2007 appearance with her husband on 60 Minutes, Mrs. Obama implied that America’s allegedly rampant white racism posed a great physical threat to her husband, who had just announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential race. Said Mrs. Obama: “As a black man, you know, Barack can get shot going to the gas station.” (Mrs. Obama’s implication ignored the fact that the vast majority of violence against black Americans is committed by other blacks. According to the U.S. Justice Department, for instance, between 1976 and 2005, fully 94 percent of black murder victims were killed by black attackers.) On February 1, 2008, Mrs.

Obama said , “I don’t think there is a person of color in this country that doesn’t struggle with what it means to be a part of your race versus what the majority thinks is right.” During a February 18, 2008 speech in Milwaukee on behalf of her husband’s presidential campaign, Mrs. Obama declared , “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country, and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.” On another campaign stop that same month, Mrs. Obama told a Zanesville, Ohio audience: “The salaries don’t keep up with the cost of paying off the debt. So you’re in your forties, still paying off your debt at a time when you have to save for your kids. Barack and I were in that position. The only reason we’re not in that position is that Barack wrote two best-selling books.… It was like Jack and his magic beans. But up until a few years ago, we were struggling to figure out how we would save for our kids.” “We left corporate America,” Mrs. Obama added, “which is a lot of what we’re asking young people to do.

Don’t go into corporate America. You know, become teachers. Work for the community. Be social workers. Be a nurse. Those are the careers that we need, and we’re encouraging our young people to do that. But if you make that choice, as we did, to move out of the money-making industry into the helping industry, then your salaries respond.” Like this: Michelle Obama - Women's Political Communication Archives Michelle Obama Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is married to the 44th and current president of the United States, Barack Obama, and has been first lady since 2009. She is the first African-American first lady of the United States. She is also a lawyer and a writer. Obama was born January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois and raised on Chicago’s south side. She graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 1985 with a B.A. in sociology (and a minor in African-American studies) and earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1988. Following law school, Obama worked as an associate in the Chicago branch of the law firm Sidley Austin in the area of marketing and intellectual property.

There in 1989, she met her future husband, a summer intern, whom she was assigned as an adviser. They married on October 18, 1992. Obama served as an assistant to the mayor and then as the assistant commissioner of planning and development for the City of Chicago. In 1993, she became executive director for the Chicago Office of Public Allies, a non-profit leadership training program that helped young adults develop skills for future careers in the public sector. She joined the University of Chicago in 1996 as associate dean of student services, developing the University’s first community service program. She then worked for the University of Chicago Hospitals beginning in 2002, as executive director of community and external affairs. In May 2005, she was appointed vice president of community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center. She also managed the business diversity program. Her husband was elected to the U.S. Senate from Illinois in 2004 and in 2007, she scaled back her own professional work to attend to family and campaign obligations during his run for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Promoting service and working with young people has remained a staple of her career and her interest. Continuing this effort now as first lady, Obama, in 2010, launched Let’s Move!, a campaign to bring together community leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses, moms and dads in a nationwide effort to tackle the challenge of childhood obesity. Let’s Move! has an ambitious but important goal: to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation. In 2011, Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative to mobilize society to give service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned, and to raise awareness of military families' unique needs as pertains to employment, education and wellness. The Radical Racist Background of Michelle Obama Download Michelle Obama four of Michelle Obama's thesis papers from Princeton University here. Princeton, 1984 Charles C.

Johnson wrote on October 30, 2012, "Michelle Obama attends and promotes a 'Black Solidarity' event for guest lecturer Manning Marable, who was, according to Cornel West, probably ' the best known black Marxist in the country .' The event is the work of the Third World Center (TWC), a campus group whose board membership is exclusively reserved for minorities." A classmate of Michelle’s identified her to TheBlaze as the second person on the left. Article/photograph taken from The Daily Princetonian – Vol. CVIII, No. 107 November 6, 1984 Daily Princetonian article showing Michelle as a board member. With this documented article, we see that Michelle Obama, much like her husband is closely associated with the teachings of Marxism and had attended meetings with Marxist-type people. We must now wonder, why did the people elect a man with a wife that has such a marked background, mixed with Marxism and communism by association with such types of people? Michelle Robinson's racial animosity of Caucasian people is exposed through her articles and statements from the time she was at Princeton. One can see this in her ideas that the white population at Princeton were a bunch of "racist" individuals.

Johnson quotes an article Michelle Robinson (Obama) wrote while at Princeton University, following an introduction to the quotation. If ever there was an example of the TWC governing board's obsession with race, an editorial from October 21, 1981 is it. The members took great offense to an op-ed titled "Rebuilding Race Relations," calling the article "racist, offensive, and inaccurate" for daring to question the group's true commitment and to present a thesis on race relations counter to its own. "The word RE-building implies that race relations once existed and, for some mysterious reasons, fell apart … ," the board wrote in a scathing letter to the editor. "We, on the other hand, believe that race relations have ​never​ been and still are not at a satisfactory level. We are not RE-building. We cannot RE-build something that never existed in the first place." An early copy of the TWC’s constitution. (The Princeton Archives) Another copy of the constitution and the preamble. (The Princeton Archives) "Don't hide behind excuses such as a lack of effort [to integrate with the Princeton campus] on our part," the revealing letter added.

"The bottom line is that white students on this campus are racist, but they may not realize it." [Emphasis added] Princeton itself, however, was concerned about the self-segregation by black students and proposed reforms to counter it, including no longer permitting black students to all room together in one dorm and integrating black freshmen into the general student body. The TWC strenuously opposed all of these reforms, arguing that integration of nonwhite students would harm the "support system" available to them, especially blacks. (Julie Newton, " TWC criticizes CURL plan: Minority strife would worsen ," The Daily Princetonian, October 21, 1981)." The TWC is an organization of whose membership was exclusively reserved to Minorities only and the initials represent the words, "Third World Center". Here we have to note that Michelle Robinson was an activist that had the intention to change the very ideology of the Princeton school she got into through the use of her brother! Here, she makes the statement, "The bottom line is that white students on this campus are racist, but they may not realize it" [Emphasis added].

This clearly shows an animosity towards white people while she was attending Princeton, and it also shows just what she thought of the college that allowed her to enter based upon her brother's position and not her grades. Michelle Robinson was actually biting the hand that fed her! Princeton took a look at the problems and came up with a plan that would integrate the different people and bring them into a more associative bonding. However, this was not strong enough for Michelle Robinson or the TWC since that would solve the problem that they shine a spotlight on, but it was not what they wanted and they countered that idea as shown below. "Princeton itself, however, was concerned about the self-segregation by black students and proposed reforms to counter it, including no longer permitting black students to all room together in one dorm and integrating black freshmen into the general student body. The TWC strenuously opposed all of these reforms, arguing that integration of nonwhite students would harm the "support system" available to them, especially blacks.

(Julie Newton, " TWC criticizes CURL plan: Minority strife would worsen ," The Daily Princetonian, October 21, 1981)." Michelle Robinson was part of the group, but not a full board member at that time, but when she did become a board member she found yet another racially-charged way to make a statement. Michelle Obama was an individual that found fault with anything that dealt with ethnicity. Johnson documents her actions and statements in 1983 as follows: "While Michelle was not a part of the board in 1981, as a board member of the Third World Center starting on April 7, 1983 she joined in a different racially-charged statement reproaching the college for not doing enough to hire "Latino administrators." In a letter a few weeks later, the TWC attacked Princeton's administration for not replacing Hector Delgado, a minority dean of students. "This search needs to produce another experienced individual who is of minority background, preferably Latino, and who will be responsive to the concerns of Third World Center as well as the student body at large," the TWC's governing board wrote. Others on campus took notice of the group's calls and expressed concern.

For example, Fred Foote — the editor of Prospect magazine, a conservative monthly publication — criticized the TWC and Delgado for their obsessive focus on race. "[Delgado's] penchant for drawing campus issues along racial lines—a penchant shared by the TWC and The Daily Princetonian—is the chief cause of racial strife on campus," he wrote ." Now this seems to show without a doubt that others on campus were looking at this action by the TWC of which Michelle Robinson,(Obama), was a part of. It seems to show that had she and the others just allowed actions to drift by, the so-called problems would have been much less in the front of the students than their curriculum was. Now one has to wonder why take such actions if the college was getting along just fine before? Michelle Robinson (Obama) did more than make meetings and express her seemingly hate for whites, she went on with the TWC and made demands for minority only meetings. She would have been up in arms to stop such meetings if they were to the exclusion of minorities. Yet it was fine, and even better, when she stood alongside a segregation policy that banned whites from any meetings held by the TWC! This is well noted in statements below.

"In November 1984, TWC's board demanded that nonwhite students should have the right to bar whites from their meetings on campus. They also demanded minorities-only meetings with the deans. (John Hurley, " Black students, university debate closed meeting policy ," The Daily Princetonian, November 29, 1984). The ban was frankly unnecessary, since whites were made to feel unwelcome at the meetings if they were invited at all, but the TWC continued to press for it , arguing, too, that blacks ought to be able to bar whites from attending events aimed at discussion of "sensitive" racial issues. "The administration, by denying us these [blacks-only] meetings, is saying that we don't have specific needs that have to be addressed this way," David Jackson , '87, a fellow TWC member, told the Daily Princetonian after the university officials finally rejected its proposal to hold racially limited meetings. But despite the radical and racialist character of the TWC, Michelle Robinson was an active participant and may have been attracted by that very radicalism. "The Third World Center was our life," Angela Acree, her best friend at Princeton, told The Boston Globe in June 2008 .

"We hung out there, we partied there, we studied there [in Liberation Hall]." "Not a day went by that I did not see Michelle at the Center," Czerni Brasuelle, TWC's director at the time, told the Daily Princetonian in its November 5, 2008 issue ." This would seem to indicate that Michelle Robinson (Obama) did not like the idea of all ethnicities working together, and would rather have them separate from each other. However, this is not what our nation had been working towards. It had been working towards having ethnic groups working together and not apart. This was so we all could be together as one nation, as Americans. Michelle Robinson in 1983-84 did not like that idea and helped call for separate and different meetings just for minorities. No whites could be there at all. Yet it was Michelle Robinson (Obama) that had stated that race relations at Princeton were deficient. However, it seems that she was part of the problem. She sat on the board of TWC to force Princeton to have separate meetings for minorities without any whites allowed! This does not bring ethnicities together nor does it resolve problems.

It would make them worse due to the distancing of the minorities from the white population and causing the white population to wonder what the monitories are planning. However, this was just the beginning for Michelle Robinson. This is the first of a 2 part article on Michelle Robinson Obama. The next article will show her use of Saul Alinsky's works, a man she admired along with her husband Barack Obama. Don't forget to Like Freedom Outpost on Facebook , Google Plus , & Twitter . You can also get Freedom Outpost delivered to your Amazon Kindle device here . Previous post Militarized Police: Overkill is Becoming the Norm as Officers Shoot First and Ask Questions Later About the Author Leon Puissegur Leon Puissegur is a Disabled Vietnam Veteran with 3 children and 9 grandchildren. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for 43 years. He is an award winning author and has been writing opinion pieces over the years and in just the last few years has written 4 books and a large amount of articles on many sites. You can purchase his books at Amazon . Pick up his latest The Oil Man.

Trending on Freedom Outpost Michelle Obama Biography for Kids « Remove Ads Michelle Obama Biography for Kids Michelle LaVaughn Robinson and her brother Craig grew up as part of a working class family on the South Side of Chicago. Some of their ancestors were slaves. Her father set an example for hard work. He had multiple sclerosis, but he almost never missed a day of work. Their mother worked hard to take care of the home and family. Both children were raised with an emphasis on education. Their parents taught them to read by the age of 4, and they both skipped second grade. She said, “I was just a typical South Side little black girl. Not a whole lot of money. Going to the circus once a year was a big deal. Getting pizza on Friday was a treat. Summers were long and fun.” Michelle went to public schools in Chicago. By sixth grade, she began going to classes for gifted children. She went to Chicago’s first magnet high school even though the commute to school took more than an hour. She took advanced placement classes, was a member of the National Honor Society, and was treasurer of the student council. When Michelle graduated in 1981, she was the salutatorian of her class.

This means she had the second highest average. Michelle went to Princeton University. Her senior thesis was “Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community.” She joined the Third World Center, a group that supported minority students. She helped run their day care center and do tutoring. She studied sociology and African-American studies graduating with honors in 1985. Next, she went to Harvard Law School where she earned her degree in 1988. She helped low-income people with housing problems while she worked for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. She is only the third First Lady to earn an advanced college degree. After graduating from Harvard Law School, she joined a Chicago law firm where she met Barack Obama. The firm asked her to be his adviser when he came there for a summer internship. They were married in 1992. This is how she describes his proposal: “We were at a restaurant having dinner to celebrate the fact that he had finished the bar. Then the waiter came over with the dessert and a tray. And there was the ring. And I was completely shocked.” Michelle left the law firm to work as an assistant to Chicago Mayor Daley, and then as an assistant commissioner of planning and development for Chicago.

In 1993, she became executive director of non-profit program that helped young adults develop skills to be future leaders. In 1996, she took a job as associate dean of student services at the University of Chicago. She set up their first community-service program. In 2002, she became executive director of community relations and external affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals. Michelle and Barack Obama are raising their daughters, Malia (born 1998) and Natasha, known as Sasha (born 2001), according to the strong family values that Michelle learned as a child. Michelle’s mother helps take care of the girls when both parents must campaign or be away for political reasons. Michelle is an excellent campaign speaker who is known for her sense of fashion, her loving care of her family, and her excellent physical condition. As First Lady, Michelle has helped fight childhood obesity with her Let’s Move! program. She and Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of the Vice President, also started Joining Forces to help military service members and their families with employment, education and better health care. Michelle often goes to public schools, to stress the importance of education and volunteer work.

With student volunteers, she planted a 1,100-square-foot garden and set up beehives on the South Lawn of the White House. She wrote a book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, about the garden. Michelle Obama, Graceful Bride Figurine Michelle Obama Graceful Bride Figurine With Collector's Card Michelle Obama, Graceful Bride Figurine A FIRST! Limited-edition handcrafted Michelle Obama figurine showcasing her wedding day style. Real tulle fabric veil. FREE Collector's Card! Measures 7" H Free Returns for 365 Days Buy the Collection by Subscription Plan This item is part of a collection. Subscribe to receive each issue in the collection by clicking "Add Collection to Cart." Price: View Collection Details Description On October 3,1992, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson not only married the man destined to change history by becoming the 44th President of the United States, she also unveiled to the world the smart, independent and stylish woman that would forever stand proudly by his side. Now, celebrate her distinct fashion sense with Hamilton Collection's first-ever Michelle Obama Bride Figurine, available in a limited edition.

This stunning Michelle Obama collectible figurine is exquisitely handcrafted in her likeness and faithfully recreates every breathtaking detail of the bride's gown. From its off-the-shoulder sleeves that form a simple sweetheart neckline to its sprawling train that swirls about, the gown is painstakingly painted by hand in soft, subtle shades of white. Pearlescent paints highlight the floral filigree and give a satin-like sheen to her bodice and classic, arm-length gloves. For the perfect finishing touch of elegance, she wears a real tulle fabric veil! Plus, this limited-edition Michelle Obama figurine arrives with an exclusive FREE Collector's Card highlighting the details of this breathtaking gown. Strong demand is anticipated, so don't delay. Order now!

Features This exclusive collectible Michelle Obama bride figurine from The Hamilton Collection features: Celebrate the big day that would lead to an even bigger life together with this first-ever only from The Hamilton Collection Masterfully hand-sculpted by artisans to recreate the breathtaking detail and carefully hand-painted to accentuate Michelle Obama's dazzling beauty on her wedding day on October 3, 1992 in Chicago Pearlescent touches highlight the intricate floral filigree embellishing Michelle's dress throughout and give her bodice and classic arm-length gloves a satin-like sheen This stunning Michelle Obama figurine arrives with an exclusive FREE Collector's Card highlighting the details of this exquisite gown and the exciting day Premiere issue in the Michelle Obama, Classic Style Figurine Collection Edition limited to 95 casting days, so order now! Hand-numbered with matching Certificate of Authenticity Measures 7" H; 17.8 cm H Buy This Item Now: Michelle Obama Graceful Bride Figurine With Collector's Card Michelle Obama Bride Figurine Celebrates Their Big Day Before Their Even Bigger Future! Unique Michelle Obama Collectible!

Price: First Lady Michelle Obama | The White House First Lady Michelle Obama Twitter FLOTUS - bio First Lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is a lawyer, writer, and the wife of the 44th and current President, Barack Obama. She is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Through her four main initiatives, she has become a role model for women and an advocate for healthy families, service members and their families, higher education, and international adolescent girls education. The People's House "It’s a place that is steeped in history, but it’s also a place where everyone should feel welcome." –Michelle Obama Learn more When people ask First Lady Michelle Obama to describe herself, she doesn't hesitate to say that first and foremost, she is Malia and Sasha's mom. But before she was a mother — or a wife, lawyer, or public servant — she was Fraser and Marian Robinson's daughter. The Robinsons lived in a brick bungalow on the South Side of Chicago. Fraser was a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department, and despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at a young age, he hardly ever missed a day of work.

Marian stayed home to raise Michelle and her older brother Craig, skillfully managing a busy household filled with love, laughter, and important life lessons. A product of Chicago public schools, Michelle Robinson studied sociology and African-American studies at Princeton University. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1988, she joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she later met Barack Obama, the man who would become the love of her life. After a few years, Mrs. Obama decided her true calling was working with people to serve their communities and their neighbors. She served as assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago's City Hall before becoming the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service. In 1996, Mrs. Obama joined the University of Chicago with a vision of bringing campus and community together. As Associate Dean of Student Services, she developed the university's first community service program, and under her leadership as Vice President of Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center, volunteerism skyrocketed. Mrs. Obama has continued her efforts to support and inspire young people during her time as First Lady.

FLOTUS - initiatives quick links FLOTUS - let's move Let's Move! Mrs. Obama planted the White House Kitchen Garden—the first major vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden in 1943—and invited students from across the country to plant and harvest it each year. It has become a national symbol for growing healthy food and teaching kids about where their food comes from and the benefits of healthy eating. In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama planted the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn to initiate a national conversation around the health and wellbeing of our nation. That conversation led to Let's Move!, an initiative launched in 2010 dedicated to helping kids and families lead healthier lives. Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, Let's Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years, giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices, providing healthier foods in our schools, ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food, and helping children become more physically active. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring all of our kids grow up healthy, and through lasting policy, programs, and public-private partnerships, Let's Move!

is enabling impactful progress: America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids Increased Access to Healthy Foods Transformed the school food environment through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which updated school meal nutrition standards for the first time in 15 years and increased funding for the first time in 30 years. Helped American public schools offer healthier school meals and snacks for over 50 million kids, increased the number of students who could get school meals at little or no cost, and ensured that any food or beverage marketed to children at school meets specific nutrition standards. Also improved the nutrition of child and adult care meals, emphasizing more whole grains, a greater variety of vegetables and fruits, and less added sugars and solid fats. Announced the Food and Drug Administration’s modernized Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods reflecting the latest science, the most relevant nutrition information, and a refreshed design in an effort to provide families with the information they need to make healthy choices. Also launched USDA’s MyPlate and Mi Plato , an easy to understand icon to help parents make healthier choices for their families. Increased access to healthy foods at schools so that 2 million kids now have a Let's Move! Salad Bar in their school. Let's Move!

Salad Bars to Schools is an effort led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and was founded by the Chef Ann Foundation, National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, United Fresh Produce Association Foundation, and Whole Foods Market. Championed over 225 corporate or private sector commitments made to date as the honorary chair of the Partnership for a Healthier America, a nonprofit helping the private sector to make the healthy choice the easy choice. These commitments showcase how the private sector can be an active part of the solution in supporting a healthy food system and society with increased availability of healthier products. For example, thousands of chain restaurants have created healthier kids’ menus, and food and beverage companies cut 6.4 trillion calories from their products. Created the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge and hosted five annual Kids’ State Dinners to promote cooking and healthy eating, where altogether over 6000 recipes were submitted and more than 270 young people and their families were welcomed to the White House. The challenge invited kids ages 8-12 to create original, healthy, affordable, and delicious lunch recipes. Encouraged Physical Activity Started Let's Move!

Active Schools so now over 11 million kids attend schools that strive to make 60 minutes of physical activity a day the norm. Let's Move! Active Schools equips school leaders and educators with a customized action plan to create active learning environments and streamlines the selection of physical activity and physical education programs, resources, professional development, and funding opportunities. Partnered with the U.S. Olympic Committee and several of its national governing bodies to provide beginner athletic programming for free or low cost to more than 1.7 million kids in 2012 and nearly 2 million kids in 2016 in support of Team USA at the Olympic Games. Supported Healthier Lifestyles Created Let's Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC) ensuring that over 80 million people – or 1 in 4 Americans – now live in a Let's Move! City, Town or County where their local elected official has committed to the five goals of the program. The goals are designed to promote sustainable strategies to improve the health of their communities.

As a result of the work of LMCTC, there are more communities where kids can walk to school on new sidewalks, participate in a summer meal program, or join a local athletic league. LMCTC is a partnership between the National League of Cities and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Launched Let's Move! Child Care to ensure that our youngest children are getting a healthy start. As of August 2016, 1.6 million kids now attend a Let's Move! Child Care daycare center or home that has committed to improving the nutrition quality of the meals and snacks served, increase opportunities for physical activity, and limit screen time. Leveraged the power of marketing to support healthier lifestyles. Sesame Workshop and the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) teamed up to promote fresh fruit and vegetable consumption to kids through the eat brighter! campaign. The Drink Up campaign was an unprecedented collaboration of companies coming together to encourage Americans across the country to drink more water. The FNV campaign , designed to market fruits and vegetables, has had 1 billion media impressions in the first year and 70 percent of those who saw the campaign said they ate more produce as a result.

Expanded the mission of the President’s Council on Fitness and Sports to include nutrition, changing the Council’s name to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and increasing the number of Council members from 20 to 25. Also updated the President’s Challenge Youth Fitness Test to reflect the latest science on kids’ health and promote active, healthy lifestyles rather than athletic performance and competition. FLOTUS - joining forces Joining Forces First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden participate in a round table discussion with veterans and their spouses at the Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, April 17, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) In 2011, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative calling on all Americans to rally around service members, veterans, and their families, supporting them through wellness, education, and employment opportunities. Joining Forces worked hand-in-hand with the public and private sectors ensuring that service members, veterans, and their families have the resources and support they need to succeed throughout their lives.

By bringing attention to the unique experiences and strengths of America’s service members, veterans, and their families, Joining Forces helped to inspire, educate, and spark action from all sectors of society to create greater connections between the American public and the military community. Support for our Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Employment Employers hired or trained over 1.2 million veterans and military spouses. Over 90,000 military spouses hired through the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, a network that now includes over 300 companies. All 50 States enacted legislation removing credentialing impediments for separating service members and streamlining license portability for military spouses. Education Colleges and universities across the country signed on to “Educate the Educators,” a Joining Forces commitment preparing educators to lead classrooms and develop cultures that are more responsive to the social, emotional, and academic needs of military-connected children. The National Math and Science Initiative’s (NMSI) College Readiness Program expanded to 200 military-connected schools, providing over 50,000 military-connected students with the support and educational opportunities they deserve. All 50 States signed on to the Military Child Education Compact to support military connected K-12 students.

Wellness In March 2015, the First Lady launched the Campaign to Change Direction, a nationwide mental health public-awareness campaign promoting education and awareness of mental health issues. Since its launch, organizations committed to teaching the “5 Signs” to more than 145 million people. The Association of American Medical Colleges and Joining Forces produced Joining Forces Wellness Week, a week-long series of interactive trainings for clinical and non-clinical wellness professionals focused on specific health and wellness issues of veterans, service members, and their families. In June 2014, the First Lady announced the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. Since the announcement, mayors, governors, and city officials from across America publicly committed to ending veteran homelessness in their communities. FLOTUS - reach higher Reach Higher First Lady Michelle Obama greets students at the City College of New York graduation on June 3, 2016. In 2014, First Lady Michelle Obama launched her Reach Higher initiative, an effort to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.

In today's economy, a high school diploma just isn't enough, which is why the First Lady is working to rally the country around ensuring that the United States once again has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. Reach Higher aims to ensure all students understand what they need to complete their education, including: exposing students to college and career opportunities; understanding financial aid and college affordability; encouraging academic planning and summer learning opportunities; and supporting high school counselors who can help more kids get to and through a post-secondary institution. Helping More Students Reach Higher for College and Beyond College Opportunity Summits In two separate summits in January and December of 2014, President Obama and the First Lady put out calls to action to college presidents, foundations, school district leaders, and college access professionals, culminating in over 700 commitments from these institutions to increase post-secondary success, especially for our most vulnerable students. Through the President and First Lady’s Call-to-Action on College Opportunity, hundreds of schools, organizations, and counselors have reported that they have already helped students access more than $5 billion in financial aid, enrolling 1 million more students in college, and setting 10 million more students on track to complete on time within the decade.

January 2014 College Opportunity Summit Video: The First Lady announces the “Better Make Room” Initiative Better Tools to Make College Choices The First Lady has helped students and families make better decisions about making the right college decision by pointing them to the administration launch of the College Scorecard to find a good-value school where they can pursue their educational and career goals while others in the public—policymakers, schools, parents, teachers, researchers—can use the data to help support colleges in improving their performance and serving students better. In addition, the First Lady secured commitments from Google to make over 100 college and career tours available through Google Expeditions, so that students and teachers can virtually visit campuses and examine careers. Improved Financial Aid Timing and Resources The First Lady has helped ensure that more students understand the importance of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), giving students access to over $180 billion available annually in Federal financial aid and millions more in state, institutional, and private scholarships. And as of October 1, 2016, the Administration made the FAFSA application available three months early .

The First Lady held a FAFSA video challenge , spoke to daytime TV personalities, and helped launch a text messaging tool, UpNext, in order to help more students access these critical federal. FLOTUS - let girls learn Let Girls Learn First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a roundtable discussion with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , Freida Pinto and students, in support of the Let Girls Learn initiative, at R.S. Caulfield Senior High School in Unification Town, Liberia, June 27, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon) In March 2015, the President and the First Lady launched Let Girls Learn , an initiative which brings together the Department of State, US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Peace Corps, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, as well as other agencies and programs such as the US President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), to address the range of challenges preventing adolescent girls from attaining a quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential. Building on existing U.S. government efforts and expertise, Let Girls Learn elevates current programs and invests in new ones to expand education opportunities for girls—including in areas of conflict and crisis.

Transforming Girls’ Lives Around the World General Awareness Domestically, the First Lady has galvanized students to become global citizens, from launching the #62MillionGirls social media campaign in September 2015, to releasing the Let Girls Learn toolkit at the 2015 Girl Up Summit, to launching the 62milliongirls.com campaign with Change.org at SXSW in Austin in March 2016. The social media campaign had almost 2 billion social impressions, and trended #1 domestically and #3 worldwide. Traveled abroad to numerous countries, including Liberia, Morocco, Spain, Cuba, Cambodia, Japan and Pakistan to meet with young girls and to hear their stories, as well as to raise global awareness about the numerous barriers adolescent girls face in going to school and staying in school. Community Based Solutions Successfully launched an effort in 36 countries to increase community-generated solutions to address adolescent girls’ education. In support of the initiative, the Peace Corps has provided enhanced training to over 800 Peace Corps volunteers. Also supported the Peace Corps Let Girls Learn Fund which provides funding for community generated projects to support girls’ education in various countries.

Public-Private Partnerships Leveraged public-private partnerships to challenge others to commit resources to improve the lives of adolescent girls worldwide. The initiative has established innovative partnerships with 78 private sector partners, including IBM, PayPal, Johnson & Johnson, Girl Scouts of America, PBS Learning Media, Girl Up, Lands’ End, IBM, Barneys, UPS, Xerox and General Motors. USG Assistance and Diplomatic Engagement The FY 2017 President’s Budget requested more than $100 million in new funds for Let Girls Learn, building on the $250 million in new and reoriented prior year funds requested in the FY 2016 President’s Budget to launch the initiative. In coordination with the Government of Pakistan, Let Girls Learn joined forces with USAID to provide $70 million to USAID programs that benefit more than 200,000 adolescent girls aged 10-19. At the 2016 Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group, President Jim Yong Kim announced that the World Bank Group would invest $2.5 billion over the next five years in education projects that directly benefit adolescent girls.

USAID established the Let Girls Learn Challenge Fund in Malawi and Tanzania to convene the global community to design new, holistic programs that advance girls education and help girls succeed in school. Foreign governments, including Japan, South Korea and the UK have collectively pledged nearly $600 million towards global girls’ education. Michelle Obama biography | birthday, trivia | American U.S. First Lady | Who2 Name at birth: Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Michelle Obama is the wife of former U.S. president Barack Obama and was First Lady of the United States from 2009-2017. She is also a lawyer and a former Chicago city administrator and community outreach worker. Reared in a blue-collar home on Chicago’s South Side, Michelle Robinson was an associate at a law firm when she met Obama; he was a summer intern and she was assigned to advise him. She worked in the offices of Chicago’s mayor and its planning commission, headed a career-training program for young adults and directed community affairs for the University of Chicago and its medical center.

She caught the eye of a national audience at her husband’s side after he delivered a high-profile speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 and then was elected that year to the U.S. Senate. In 2007 she scaled back her own professional work to attend to family and campaign obligations during Obama’s successful run for president. Michelle Obama took her turn as a speaker on the opening night of the 2008 Democratic convention, and her husband was elected president on 4 November 2008. She became First Lady with his inauguration on 20 January 2009, and received a second four-year “term” as First Lady when Barack Obama was re-elected on November 6, 2012. She was succeeded as First Lady by Melania Trump , wife of Republican President-elect Donald Trump , on January 20, 2017. Extra credit Michelle Obama is a 1985 graduate of Princeton University.

Her brother, Craig Robinson, class of 1983, was a basketball star there and has been head coach at Brown University and Oregon State University… Although she’s younger than Barack Obama, Michelle graduated from Harvard Law School first, in 1988. She didn’t cross paths there with her future husband, who graduated in 1991… The Obamas were married in 1992 and have two daughters: Malia (born 1998) and Natasha (called Sasha, born 2001).

Question: Michelle LaVaughn Robinson married which future world leader in 1992?
Answer: Barack Obama